The Grand Slambovians, Alexis P. Suter play free street fair

Country superstar Luke Bryan opened his new restaurant in downtown Nashville called 32 Bridge Food + Drink with a free outdoor concert for 30,000 fans on the city’s famed Broadway. (Sept. 11)
AP

The Grand Slambovians, a jam band with a dedicated following in northwest New Jersey, will play the 14th annual Festival in the Borough in Washington Borough, Warren County, on Saturday, September 22. The free daylong event also includes performances by the Alexis P. Suter Band and other acts, craft vendors, a farmers market, a beer garden, food trucks, and a play area for children.(Photo: Bob Schultz)

Story Highlights

Musicians of various genres, from jazz to 1960s rock, will perform at the 14th annual Festival in the Borough, held from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, September 22 in Washington Borough, Warren County.

The jam band Slambovian Circus of Dreams and the Alexis P. Suter Band, a blues group, will be among the musicians performing.

The event also includes craft vendors, a farmers market, a beer garden, food trucks, and a play area for children.

By several standards, Washington Borough is as small-town as you can get.

The pocket-size municipality had a population of only about 6,500 as of 2016. Many of its businesses are concentrated along one street: Route 57.

Even its name is almost generic for New Jersey, which has nine other municipalities named after George Washington. (In fact, the borough is completely surrounded by Washington Township in southern Warren County.)

But once a year, Washington becomes a locus for entertainment, notably music, in the form of the Festival of the Borough. The event has attracted nationally recognized performers, besides local musicians and a slew of other attractions.

“It’s our signature event,” said John Monteverde, executive director of the Washington Business Improvement District (BID). “We get people from Morris County to the east and Pennsylvania to the west. It’s a wide footprint.”

In recent years, some 10,000 visitors have swollen the streets of Washington during the street fair, which is free to the public. Monteverde said he was hoping for similar attendance for the 14th annual Festival in the Borough on Saturday, September 22.

The festival offers a number of entertainment and food options, including a beer garden, food trucks, craft vendors, and a play area for youngsters.

But the Festival in the Borough is known for its music. “People may come for the vendors, but they stay for the music,” said Melanie Thiel, administrative assistant for Washington BID. “Without music, it’s a street fair. With music, it’s a festival.”

A total of 15 acts will perform at three stages. Among the artists will be Southbound and JerZgirl, Carol Fredericks & the Dirty Jersey Band, Bulldog Attack, the Outcrops, the Emulators, Radio Zoo, the Chatham Big Band (jazz) and This Old House.:

One of the stages will be dedicated to acoustic performers. Mark Ryan, Helen O'Shea & Marvin Perkins, Kate & Paul, Gordon Thomas Ward, AJ Croix, and Katherine Rondeau are all scheduled to play.

This year’s festival will feature two national acts. The blues/soul vocalist Alexis P. Suter (a Blues Music Award nominee) and her band have made several appearances in the area, including shows at Centenary Stage Co. in Hackettstown.

Blues-roots singing star Alexis P. Suter will join the Fusion Choir at Boonton United Methodist Church for a benefit concert Sunday.(Photo: Photo courtesy of the Music Mission)

Also on the bill is the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, a freewheeling folk/jam band based in upstate New York.

Returning to Warren County is meaningful to the group, according to multi-instrumentalist Tink Lloyd. The group’s first New Jersey gigs were at festivals in Knowlton, starting with one memorable appearance in 2008.

“People were singing along with our songs,” said Lloyd, who co-founded the band with her husband, vocalist and guitarist Joziah Longo. “That was a big break for us. It was the foundation for our fan base.

“We’re so happy to be coming back (to the county),” said Lloyd. “It’s a way for us to reconnect to fans from that area. There are a lot of serious music fans there.”

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams will play songs from an upcoming CD that Lloyd described as a departure from the group’s previous roots-oriented work. “This almost has an ‘Abbey Road’ feel with keyboards and production,” she said.

As vital as the music is to Festival in the Borough, the event also serves as a showcase for the business community in Washington.

Monteverde pointed out that the borough has several new establishments, including a yoga studio, a restaurant specializing in Southern cuisine, a video arcade, and a sports-oriented facility that includes batting cages.

By spotlighting new and established businesses, Monteverde said he hopes that patrons of the Festival in the Borough will think of visiting Washington more frequently than once a year.

“We hope they come for the music,” Monteverde concluded. “We also hope they come back for the shopping and eating.”

If you go: 14th Annual Festival in the Borough

WHAT: The Slambovian Circus of Dreams and the Alexis P. Suter Band are among the acts at this daylong free event, sponsored by the Washington (Warren County) Business Improvement District. Other artists scheduled to perform include the Brian Dean Moore Band, Too Stupid To Quit, the JerZgirls, Jingo (a Santana tribute band), Above Ground Blues Band, Skyla Burrell Band, and Dizaster Horse. Event also includes family activities, a beer garden, and craft vendors.